The suburb of Sydney Olympic Park covers an area of 640 hectares, of which 430 hectares are parklands.

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1 Fact Sheet Parklands The parklands at Sydney Olympic Park provide 430 hectares of open space, recreation areas, wetlands and waterways for the people of Sydney located in the heart of the growing metropolitan Sydney. One of Australia s largest urban parklands, Sydney Olympic Park is a diverse and special place where protected remnant woodlands, rare saltmarshes, waterbird refuge and mangroves stand alongside places of heritage significance to create a unique parkland setting. A lasting legacy of the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the parklands have been designed and built on land formerly used by government industries including the State Abattoirs, State Brickworks and Commonwealth Department of Defence, and are the result of remediating industrial land an internationally recognised leading environmental remediation and urban renewal project. Today, the parklands are playing an increasingly important role as both a local park and as a significant regional park destination as Sydney grows. The parklands are an association of many different parks and places brought together as a single entity for management purposes. The suburb of Sydney Olympic Park covers an area of 640 hectares, of which 430 hectares are parklands. There are now over 2.7 million visits to the parklands annually, representing 27.5 percent of Sydney Olympic Park total visitation. The parklands include the leisure and play areas of Bicentennial Park, Wentworth Common and Blaxland Riverside Park; the sporting grounds at Wilson Park and Archery Park, and Monster and Mountain X facilities; the state heritage listed Newington Armory; the more natural areas of Newington Nature Reserve and Badu Mangroves; the Brickpit and 100 hectares of wetlands and waterways. 1

2 Over 280 hectares (nearly half of the Park) provides habitat for threatened species, endangered ecological communities and protected marine vegetation. The Park s rich biodiversity includes three endangered ecological communities, over 180 native bird species and seven frog species. The Park is also home to 400 native plant species, 10 bat species, 15 reptile species, many fish species and many thousands of invertebrate species. The Park supports one of the largest remaining populations of the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog remaining in NSW. Sydney Olympic Park offers 35 kilometres of pedestrian/cycle paths and cyclists represent 33 per cent of overall visitors to the parklands. Archery Park Archery Park is located on Bennelong Parkway, between Haslams Creek and Nuwi Wetland, and is 6 hectares in size. This large open space features bocce courts, picnic shelters and free barbecues. Archery Park is a flat open field bordered by mangroves, a protected species. The award winning Archery Centre building is based on environmentally sustainable design principles. Archery Park served as the venue for archery competition during the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and now operates as a world-class archery facility. Today, the Archery Centre, which includes an on-site pro shop, offers a variety of archery programs to suit the needs of recreational and competitive archers. Visition to the Archery Centre has increased by over 80% in the past 4 years. Badu Mangroves The 65 hectare Badu Mangroves, located within Bicentennial Park and listed on the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia, is an ecologically significant estuarine wetland system. The wetland was developed following a series of land reclamation and dredging works spanning several decades, and includes extensive mangrove stands, and open water Waterbird Refuge, a saltmarsh community and an estuarine creek system. This area is home to the largest stand of grey mangroves in Sydney. A purpose built Bird Hide provides the opportunity for uninterrupted views of the Waterbird Refuge where many native bird species including migratory shorebirds inhabit the area. A collection of platforms, towers, boardwalks, bird hides and pathways provide a variety of viewing opportunities from which the wetland systems can be enjoyed and studied. The Waterbird Refuge is rich in birdlife, and provides habitat for large numbers and species of birds, including migratory species protected under international agreements. In conjunction with Bicentennial Park, Badu Mangroves supports public interpretation and school education programs and passive recreational activities. Bicentennial Park The 36 hectare park was opened to the public in 1988 to commemorate the Australian Bicentenary. Bicentennial Park is the busiest of all the parks at Sydney Olympic Park. It offers outstanding facilities including two playgrounds, waterplay area, free barbecues, picnic pavilions, pedestrian/cycle pathways and the Treillage Tower with a high viewing platform. 2

3 Bicentennial Park contains several permanent public art installations, including the Peace Monument, the Bicentennial Park Water Feature, the Bicentennial Park Sundial, Cyrus the Great and the Silent Hearts Memorial Garden. Bicycle paths form part of the regional Bay to Bay Walk, which links Parramatta with Homebush and Botany Bays. Bike hire is available for visitors to enjoy more than 8 kilometres of pedestrian/ cycle pathways in Bicentennial Park. Lake Belvedere provides breeding habitat for a large number and diversity of waterbirds, and in a highly accessible location for birdwatching and photography. WatervieW in Bicentennial Park, opened in 2006, overlooks Lake Belvedere and includes a function centre with an inviting cafe, Lilies on the Park. The Education Centre and Field Studies Tower have recently been refurbished and showcase sustainable building design and materials. Sydney Olympic Park Authority utilises the Centre to teach over 30,000 school children per annum with hands-on learning curriculum based environmental education programs. Blaxland Riverside Park Opened in March 2007, Blaxland Riverside Park is a 20 hectare site and is the newest of the parkland areas. It is situated on the Parramatta River and bordered by Wilson Park, Newington Armory and Silverwater Correctional Centre. Blaxland Riverside Park has a unique history the site was originally part of the land that was granted to John Blaxland in Newington House, the residence of the Blaxland family, remains in the grounds of the adjoining Silverwater Correctional Centre and is listed on the State Heritage Register. Blaxland Riverside Park is located on the banks of the Parramatta River and offers a range of open spaces suitable for picnics, recreation and events. The Park has free barbecues, shade shelters, plenty of parking, playground and waterplay area. The Armory Wharf Café was rebuilt in December 2008 after a fire destroyed the original building. The Armory Wharf Precinct received the prestigious Australian Insitute of Architects Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design. Open daily, it is a wonderful place to enjoy a bite to eat and relax by the river. The play space at Blaxland Riverside Park provides a diverse and challenging environment for people of all ages to play, socialise, get active and build memories. The first stage opened to public in May 2011, and the second and final stage opened in June 2012, with the play space designed, constructed and maintained in accordance with Australian Standard guidelines. Spreading over 3 hectares, there are 12 specific play elements integrated into landforms and artificial surfaces they are the: Giant Swing Viking Swing Spinning Disk Climbing Wall Tunnel Slides Surface Slides Double Flying Fox Wormhole Net Tree House 13.5m tall Waterplay 165m2 wet disc, 170 water jets and 7 programmable features Sandplay Kiosk 3

4 Brickpit The Brickpit is located between Sydney Showground and Wentworth Common the north eastern corner of the town centre. In 1910, the Minister responsible for Public Works put forward a proposal to build a brickworks to supply the Department of Public Works. The Brickpit was excavated as part of the State Brickworks operation from 1910 to The Brickpit supplied nearly 60 per cent of the red bricks built in Sydney s homes. Following cessation of the quarrying activity, the Brickpit developed into a freshwater wetland. When bidding for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games a number of possible uses for the Brickpit were put forward. However, once the Green and Golden Bell Frog population was identified onsite, it was partially developed as water storage for the Water Reclamation and Mangement Scheme (water recycling scheme) and the remainder was conserved and enhanced as frog habitat. This area now supports a key population of the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog, as well as 90 bird species. In 2005, the Authority built the Brickpit Ring Walk allowing people to experience the Brickpit while ensuring the fragile habitat is protected. The Ring Walk is raised 18.5 metres above the sandstone floor of the Brickpit and is 550 metres in circumference. The outer panel of the ring includes the Brickpit history through the voices of workers recounting their experiences, urban ecology, soundscapes of frog and bird calls and the water management scheme. The Brickpit Ring Walk won the 2006 National Trust Heritage Award. Haslams Creek & Narawang Wetland Haslams Creek was reconstructed in 2000, with its current naturalistic form replacing a concrete-lined stormwater channel and landscaped parklands constructed on either side. Haslams Creek is an important estuarine ecosystem, which include extensive areas of replacement saltmarsh habitat containing the threatened species, Wilsonia backhousei. Narawang Wetland is a 1.6km corridor of 3 irrigation ponds, 22 freshwater habitat ponds and native plantings. Paths and boardwalks weave through the wetland and link with regional pedestrian/cycle access routes. Narawang Wetland supports multiple important functions including a floodplain for Haslams Creek, providing habitat for native fauna including the Green and Golden Bell Frog and Lathams Snipe, and supplementary habitat for species in the adjoining Newington Nature Reserve. The irrigation storage ponds collect stormwater runoff from adjoining residential areas and P5 car park. This stormwater is primarily used to irrigate the parklands. Kronos Hill Kronos Hill is situated next to Haslams Creek, at the northern end of Olympic Boulevard. It is 22 hectares in size and contains remediated landfills, two large constructed freshwater wetlands that collect and treat stormwater runoff from the Town Centre, 23 constructed frog ponds and five frog underpasses providing habitat for the Green and Golden Bell Frogs. The Northern Water Feature fountains use recycled water, is at the base of Kronos Hill and is an important landmark as it is a transition point between the built environment of the town centre and the natural features of the parklands. Haslams Pier, containing Osmosis a permanent public art installation, and The Pyramid are also located at the northern end of Olympic Boulevard. Pedestrian/cycle paths across Kronos Hill afford significant views of the area providing easy access to the parklands and P5 car park from the venues in the town centre. 4

5 Newington Armory Newington Armory is part of the former Royal Australian Navy Armament Depot (RANAD) Newington. It is now listed on the state heritage register due to its significant and rare extensive military and industrial landscape. It is a 52 hectare riverside landscape with hills and woodlands and features over 100 heritage buildings. Ammunition used by Australian and British Naval ships were received, maintained, stored and issued by the Depot. The depot was originally built in 1897 as a powder magazine to replace a magazine on Goat Island. The site expanded with growing need for ammunition storage. The depot was an integral part of the Sydney Ammunition Pipeline, a chain of facilities that also included Kingswood Armament Depot, Spectacle Island, Rose Bay and Double Bay Powder Magazines. The site was registered in the Australian Heritage Commission s Register of the National Estate and was identified as a Heritage Conservation Area by Sydney Regional Environmental Plan No Homebush Bay Area. In December 2010 the site was listed on the NSW State Heritage Register. Today, the precinct is evolving into a cultural and recreational hub and includes public programs and activities. In addition to its military and industrial landscape, Newington Armory is also a unique arts precinct which includes a gallery, theatre, outdoor amphitheatre and visual arts studios. The Gallery is the home to the largest annual metropolitan ARTEXPRESS exhibition. Sydney Olympic Park Authority runs: an Artists at the Armory program, utilising heritage-listed buildings of Newington Armory to provide studio and workshop space as well as residential accommodation for painters, sculptors, printmakers and ceramicists. Since its inception in 2005, the program has attracted more than 150 artists with 40 of these from overseas; and Scientists in Residence program, providing residential accommodation and workspace for ecologists studying the Park s ecosystems. The Armory Theatre has been transformed from a naval non-explosive storehouse to a flexible performance space with a maximum audience capacity of 250 people for small theatrical performances, concerts, meetings and workshops. The Armory is home to the Sydney Olympic Park Lodge, a 98 bed accommodation facility, providing a camp style environment for all ages. Groups can combine their stay with a wide range of education programs, behind-the-scenes tours and recreational activities offered in the Park. In 2008, the Birds Australia Discovery Centre opened in Newington Armory. The Centre includes an extensive bird book library, an education room and interpretation centre for bird conservation. Sydney Olympic Park Authority, in partnership with Ausgrid, delivers a cutting edge excursion program around renewable energy. In a first of its kind for Western Sydney, the excursion combines interactive learning with mobile technologies at the Ausgrid Energy Efficiency Centre and practical field works activities at the historic Newington Armory. Adapted to transport people the original 1940 s electromobile leads the way on the heritage listed light gauge railway. The Heritage Railway Discovery Tour enables visitors to enjoy the history of the area and view an amazing collection of armaments. A range of outdoor recreational activities and tours are available from the Armory, including the Heritage Train Discovery Tour, disc golf, bicycle and Segway hire. 5

6 Newington Nature Reserve Newington Nature Reserve is managed by Sydney Olympic Park Authority in accordance with a Plan of Management prepared under the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act (1974). Previously the Reserve was part of a larger area called Newington Royal Australian Navy Armament Depot (RANAD), which was managed by the Commonwealth Department of Defence. Public access to the reserve was restricted by the Royal Australian Navy for over a hundred years. The Reserve, together with Newington Armory, is now listed on the NSW State Heritage Register. The 47 hectare Reserve has two distinct parts: 13 hectare remnant woodland of Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest and a 34 hectare highly engineered estuarine wetland system. The Reserve provides habitat for many flora and fauna species including migratory birds, critically endangered Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest, the endangered ecological communities of Coastal Saltmarsh and Swamp- Oak Floodplan forest and the vulnerable Wilsonsia backhousei. Wentworth Common Wentworth Common is an 18 hectare site and was the former location of the State Brickworks. It is now a large open recreational space providing picnic shelters, free barbecues, pedestrian/cycle paths, toilets and parking. There is also an adventure playground featuring a flying fox with a sandpit, a slide, climbing frame, swings and shade sails. A smaller playground for younger children has a waterplay area, swings and a giant sandpit. Wentworth Common has significant value as habitat for the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog and other frog species, as well as numerous waterbird and insect-eating bird species. The Bay Marker, accessible by cyclists and pedestrians, provides views over Homebush Bay, Parramatta River and growing residential development areas in Wentworth Point and Rhodes. The glass walled building at Wentworth Common houses the Water Reclamation and Management Scheme (WRAMS), which is responsible for recycling more than 780 million litres of water annually. This water is used for non-drinking purposes across Sydney Olympic Park and irrigation of the extensive parklands. Wilson Park Wilson Park, 13 hectares in size, is a sporting and community asset for the local community and contains two playing fields, car park and amenity buildings. It includes an area used for the bioremediation of contaminated soil and groundwater, legacies of historic land use. Woo-la-ra Woo-la-ra (of aboriginal origin, meaning look-out place ), is located near the ferry wharf, and comprises of two constructed, grassed elevated landforms: the conical Silverwater Marker and the naturalistic hill known as Woo-la-ra. Pedestrian/cycle paths lead to Woo-la-ra s summit and provide 360 degree views of the adjacent Newington Nature Reserve, surrounding lands and Sydney city skyline. 6

7 Parks in the town centre Brickpit Park Situated on the edge of the vast Brickpit between Sydney Olympic Parks town centre and parklands, this green space is being developed in stages to service the growing community of residents and workers in this area. Cathy Freeman Park Cathy Freeman Park (formerly known as The Overflow) is home of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Cauldron, a number of artworks and a children s playground. The Olympic Cauldron at Sydney Olympic Park, reignited on special occasions, stands on 24 stainless steel columns, with a 10 metre curtain of water falling from its edge, providing a wonderful, wet playground to cool off in. A sculpture in homage to the eight women torchbearers at the Opening Ceremonies of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games is situated in this park. Along with a pathway of lights, called The Stride, which represents the extraordinary strides of Cathy Freeman s gold medal winning run. Jacaranda Square Unofficially referred to as Sydney Olympic Park s town square, Jacaranda Square has been enhanced to provide an everyday park for the community, as well as an easy thoroughfare for commuters to access the railway station from the eastern end. Centrally located between Australia Avenue and the railway station, the Square is designed for passive recreation and community gathering particularly aimed at employees of Sydney Olympic Park to enjoy on an office break. The result of a design competition won by a group of ASPECT Studios in collaboration with McGregor Westlake Architects and Deuce Design, the Square includes seating, shade structure and a cafe set among a landscape of native trees. A recycled brick pavement is featured, which links the square to the heritage of the nearby Brickpit: the site of the former NSW State Brickworks. Stockroute Park Located off Herb Elliot Avenue, Stockroute Park is a sculptural landscape that links Sydney Olympic Park to the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece and celebrates the Greek origins of many Australian citizens. With a grove of eucalyptus trees, the apparent remains of an ancient temple emerge, with olive and cypress trees and five column drums the number of Olympic rings. A large disc is embedded in the ground as though it had been hurled from ancient Greece by a discus-thrower (Discobolus). It has now become a contemporary disc: a CD-ROM. The eucalypt trees stand as custodians of the land and indigenous Australia. Olive trees are among the most ancient in existence and are the living connection between our contemporary Olympic Games and the original games held in 776 BC. Olive branches were used to make crowns for the victors and hence the olive leaf is a symbol of victory and peace. The cypress tree, a symbol of immortality, was sacred to Artemis, the daughter of Zeus, and in the context of the Sydney site represents the immortal spirit of the Olympic Games. Information correct as of January Photo: Paolo Busato 7